A fitness trainer told how 999 call handlers dismissed his heart attack as “anxiety”.
Faith Harrison felt a little “strange” after playing a hockey game on Jan. 6, but she never considered it might have something to do with her heart.
The 22-year-old, from Little Minsterly, Shropshire, revealed her arm “went numb and tingling”.
Meanwhile, his chest became very tight “as if someone was sitting on it.”
Worried about her symptoms, she drove to her parents’ house and immediately told her family and partner that “something is wrong.”
Faith Harrison, a fitness trainer from Little Minsterly, Shropshire, suffered permanent damage to her heart after her heart attack was ruled out as anxiety.
Her father then called 999 after she began vomiting violently.
Miss Harrison said: “The call handler said it was probably anxiety or a panic attack.”
“At that moment, I knew something was very wrong.”
Miss Harrison’s partner Sam and her father took her to A&E. at Princess Royal Telford Hospital.
Doctors then decided they should take her to the nearest specialist cardiology center at Royal Stoke University Hospital.
Tests, carried out seven hours after symptoms began, revealed that she had suffered a heart attack that left her widowed.
The doctors said she was lucky to be alive.
The 22-year-old was also diagnosed with a patent foramen ovale (PFO), a small hole between the two upper chambers of the heart that normally closes after birth.
The avid gym goer has been left with permanent damage to her heart.
Miss Harrison is now calling for greater awareness of heart attack symptoms among young people and NHS staff.
Recalling the day of her heart attack, she said: “After the game, I just didn’t feel like myself.
“I didn’t feel sick or ill, it just wasn’t like me.
‘I got in my car to drive home and about 30 minutes later, my arm went numb and tingly, and my chest got really tight like someone was sitting on it.
‘I was wondering if something serious was going on.
‘But I could talk and move, so I thought I was fine. I never thought it could have anything to do with my heart.
Chest pain and pain that spreads to your arms are telltale signs of a heart attack, as is feeling sick, sweaty, lightheaded, or having trouble breathing. However, it is possible to have a heart attack without experiencing these symptoms.
Miss Harrison, who traveled more than an hour to play the hockey game, decided to drive to her parents’ house because it was closer than her own.
‘Somehow I got there, but as soon as I walked in, I said “something’s wrong.”
‘My parents, my partner Sam and I thought my blood sugar was low.
“But I violently vomited everything they tried to give me,” he added.
Hospital tests revealed that a blood clot was 90 per cent blocking one of Miss Harrison’s coronary arteries. It is one of the main blood vessels and can be fatal without urgent treatment.
She was told she was lucky to be alive, and was also diagnosed with a patent foramen ovale (PFO), a small hole between the two upper chambers of the heart that normally closes after birth.
In very rare cases, PFO can allow a normally harmless blood clot to reach a coronary artery and create a blockage, causing a heart attack.
Miss Harrison underwent an emergency thrombectomy, a procedure to remove a blood clot from an artery.
But the damage to his heart was so severe that he now has heart failure.
In the UK there are around 100,000 hospital admissions each year due to heart attacks. That’s one every five minutes, according to the British Heart Foundation.
Symptoms of a heart attack include chest pain, dizziness, feeling unwell and an overwhelming feeling of anxiety, the NHS says.
A heart attack is a serious medical emergency. It occurs when there is a sudden loss of blood flow to a part of the heart muscle. Without enough blood and oxygen the heart can suffer serious damage.
Although most heart attacks occur in older people with underlying conditions such as heart disease, young people can also be victims, like Miss Harrison.
She said: ‘Having a heart attack and being told I have heart failure has changed my life. I had business goals, I had fitness goals, I had life goals.
“Now my goals are very different because my physical and mental health has changed a lot.”
The latest figures show that more than 400,000 people were waiting for a heart test, operation or other heart procedure at the end of January in England, an increase of 75 per cent since February 2020.
It is estimated that there are tens of thousands more waiting for a referral from a GP, a regular check-up with a specialist or aftercare such as cardiac rehabilitation.
Not knowing the symptoms of heart problems can also lead to delays in seeking urgent medical help for conditions such as heart attacks and strokes.
The BHF has said demand for help from its Heart Helpline increased by 75 per cent last year.
Many callers are worried about not being able to get an appointment with a doctor.
Chloe MacArthur, BHF Helpline Lead Nurse, said: “It is worrying that so many people we speak to are facing stressful and often frightening delays to their urgent cardiac care.
Although most heart attacks occur in older people with underlying conditions such as heart disease, young people can also be victims, like Miss Harrison.
‘Last month someone told us they were facing a 72-week wait for heart surgery, which would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.
“We also hear that people put off seeking help because they don’t know the symptoms of life-threatening heart and circulatory diseases.”
There are 7.6 million people across the UK with a heart or circulatory condition, such as a heart attack, stroke or heart failure.
Miss Harrison said: “It has been comforting to know that the British Heart Foundation is there for me whenever I need it as a support resource.”
“Your brochures were a lifesaver for me in the hospital and I have used the Heart Helpline to learn more about cardiac rehabilitation.”
Miss Harrison, pictured with her partner Sam, raised £250 from her hospital bed, which will help fund BHF research into life-saving heart and circulatory conditions.
As a thank you to the BHF, Miss Harrison raised £250 from her hospital bed, which will help fund the charity’s life-saving research into heart and circulatory diseases.
She said: ‘What happened to me was stupid, but I’ve been given a second chance and I want to do something with it.
‘For me, I want to make young people aware that they are not invincible and tell them not to take life for granted.
‘Everyone, even young people, needs to know the symptoms of a heart attack so as not to delay seeking help. It could save lives.
‘It is also vital that healthcare professionals do not assume that young people cannot suffer heart attacks. I am living proof that this is true.